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Lizard in meal tray: Air India fiercely denies social media claims

Air India has strongly denied reports that a lizard was found in one of its in-flight meals on a Delhi to London flight.

The airline claimed that a photo that went viral on social media of a lizard poking out from beneath a burger bun on a flight last week was “false and baseless” and that it was investigating “the source of mischievous propaganda”.

It is unclear where the photo originated from and which Twitter account was the first to post it.

The alleged incident took place on a Delhi to Heathrow flight on Thursday lunch time. A source told the Times of India: “A flight attendant got the said meal from the galley and soon after it was placed on to the tray, the passenger was heard screaming.

“The passenger was very upset and said that he would lodge a complaint with the airline on landing. He did not file a complaint then and there itself as he said he was not sure about the complaint reaching the airline.”

The airline moved to reassure its passengers of the “quality, hygiene [and] safety” of its onboard catering, before retweeting dozens of tweets from its customers praising the food. A hashtag #IStandwithAirIndia was created for the purpose of showing support for the airline.

Air India is the flag carrier of India (Photo: Getty)

India's civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju has also lent his support to the airline's campaign.

Air India is investigating the matter and will consider legal action if it can prove the photo was a hoax, according to the Times of India.

The airline has faced significant financial difficulty in recent years, receiving a 67 billion rupee (£724m) government bailout in 2012, and selling five of its eight Boeing 777-200LR aircraft to Etihad Airways in December 2013.